Scream by Mike Dellosso

The hook to this book is electrifying: Mark Stone hears blood-curdling screams when he is on the phone with someone. Shortly after their conversation is finished, the person dies. Where are the screams coming from and why are all these people dying?

Then there is a second plot-line entailing somone kidnapping women and locking them in an abandoned barn.

How are these two stories connected and how in the world is this a Christian book?

Mike Dellosso does an admirable job keeping you on the edge of your seat as you read his tale. Part of the fun is trying to solve the mysteries before Stone does. (most of you who read it probably will) The characters  provide rich development while Dellosso plays out the grieving husband, (While looking at the synopsis of other Dellosso books, however, this seems to be a running theme) and wounded villain.

It was easy for me to picture this novel as a movie: I kept imagining how creepy the screams-from-the-phone  scenes would be and I'd end up with hairs on the back of my neck sticking straight up. The action is thrill-a-minute while the more quiet moments smooth out your heart rate.

By the end of this book, Stone hears the screams while he's speaking to his wife and ends up racing against the clock to save her life.

Part of the drawback for me was the "come to Jesus" moment. It occurs during a fairly intense moment of the story and I felt jarred out of the rush in order to get the "Christianese" section taken care of. Please bear in mind that this was still a great read - I was just slightly put out by this choppy moment in the story.

I can't wait to read more novels from Dellosso.

7 Hours: Rearview by Mike Dellosso

In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: “You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now.”
The clock is ticking.

What will you do with the time you have left?



Rearview is the first installment of a seven-book series called 7 Hours. Each of the seven stories is written by a different author that revolves around Thomas Constant.

Dellosso tells of Professor Dan Blakely - an upstanding man who has been falsely accused by a female student. This accusation sends his life and career in a tailspin.

Contemplating the horrific life he will now lead, Dan decides to end his own life. This is when he's visited by Thomas Constant who offers him the choice.

I was incredibly impressed by this first story. It sets the perfect tone for what to expect from this 7 Hour endeavor. Dellosso provides an outlet for every emotion without it feeling cliched or forced. I actually found my eyes watering at the end of this book. A fully satisfying end to an excellent 88-page read.

Jump into the 7 Hour experience with this inaugural short tale that will have you thinking long after it's over.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Tyndale House Publishing.